The Auburn of today is not the same University your parents attended.
"This is Auburn" aims to promote a bold new statement about the University as part of a national campaign to promote underrepresented strengths.
"The campaign is creating a consistent way to talk about all the wonderful assets Auburn has," said Camille Barkley, interim director of communications and marketing. "Previously, most departments created their own advertising and publications with each having a different theme and content. By joining the 'This is Auburn' campaign, units on campus are sending out a uniform message. In the end, it will result in better recognition of Auburn and greater understanding of our strengths."
Combining digital media with strategic marketing throughout Auburn and abroad, one of the main goals of the campaign is to make the statement that Auburn is an institution built on academic achievement and visionary leadership in a variety of fields.
While the Office of Communications and Marketing is responsible for much of the campaign's resources and messages, a long list of individual groups and offices joined the program to adapt the message in their own way, including Auburn Athletics, the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of the Provost and Auburn Admissions.
Barkley said the five-year plan's end goal is to refresh the Auburn image, even if it's not outdated, and announce to the world the new and improved Auburn University.
"The campaign is designed to have bolder messages and statements than we'd used in past advertising," Barkley said. "To attract and retain the best students and faculty, and to engage the most passionate alumni, we need to show the authentic qualities of Auburn and reflect the pride that our Auburn Family should have in the University's achievements."
The name of the campaign was originally penned by Auburn graduate Brock Hanson for a contest to create the best Auburn-made commercial for the University.
"I thought I would enter it because I had done video production stuff and I really liked doing that," Hanson said. "For that specific commercial, I just kind of came up with the idea of a bunch of different vignettes and students and just kind of mashing it all into one piece to show the best of Auburn. It just kind of made sense to name it "This is Auburn.""
"In addition to promoting several national ads, a second television commercial and weekly video features from the athletic department, "This is Auburn," highlights exceptional students and alumni for showing a vision and leadership that depicts the positive qualities of the University," Barkley said.
Past features highlighted Juli Goldstein, an Auburn alumnae who is now one of the head veterinary instructors at Florida Atlantic University, and Marian Royston, selected as one of only 12 Mitchell Scholars, studying sustainable rural development at Queen's University of Belfast in Northern Ireland.
"The Office of Student Affairs has already adapted some of their messaging to tie into the campaign," said Mike Clardy, director of University Communication Services. "We welcome student organizations to work with (us)" Clardy said. "We are asking students for their success stories for the campaign, particularly through stories we tell, advertising and student recruitment material."
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